There are numerous types and constructions of laminated members such as labels, organization membership and identification cards, coupons, credit cards and the like, as well as methods of making the same. Usually these members will be die-cut from strips of laminated materials and will have a pressure-sensitive adhesive on one side which releasably mounts the die-cut members on a strip of backing paper which has an adhesive release coating. This release coating enables the individual die-cut members to be removed easily either automatically or manually from the backing strip. The adhesive remains on the removed member, enabling the member to be attached to an article, base sheet, or other surface.
These individual die-cut laminated members may have printed indicia on the exposed top surface that was applied while the laminated member was in strip form prior to die cutting or was applied after the member was removed from the carrier strip and applied to a surface. This printing may be covered by a thin transparent sheet of plastic after the printing has been applied to prevent alteration or disfiguration of the printing.
One problem that exists with such known laminated members die cut from strips of the laminated material is that it is difficult to form such a member in strip from for subsequent removal and attachment to other sheets in which printing can be applied to both sides of the final laminated member. Also, another problem with such laminated members and the method of making them is that upon removal of the die-cut member from a surface to which it is attached by the pressuresensitive adhesive, adhesive will be exposed either on the removed member or on the surface from which it has been removed. This exposed adhesive is unsatisfactory and presents problems for many applications.
One application in which a plurality of individual laminated members are die cut from a carrier strip is in the production of credit cards and organization membership and identification cards. It is desirable that printing be on both sides of these cards and that the cards be mass produced by conventional label-forming equipment so they can be removed from the carrier sheet and applied by automatic dispensing equipment to a base sheet for subsequent mailing to the individual recipients. However, when the individual recipient removes the card from the mailing sheet, the pressure-sensitive adhesive which attached the card on the mailing sheet remains either on the sheet or on the membership card, which is unsatisfactory. Also, it is desirable to protect the printing which is on the card so the same cannot be altered or obliterated by use.
Another application in which individual die-cut laminated members are used is in machineprinted and machine-readable identifying tags, labels and coupons of the type that are mounted on perforated paper which is passed through a line printer, computer or similar machines. This application enables the information which is printed on the labels to be accurately controlled, such as the labels attached to clothing or other items for which inventory control is essential. However, the exposed adhesive on such labels or on the backing paper from which they are removed presents problems, especially where the removed labels are subsequently attached to a garment or the like by other attachment means wherein the adhesive is no longer required and is not desired.
Various methods and laminated members have been devised which provide some of the features discussed above, such as a protective coating over printing on one side of the label, as well as a laminated member having pressure-sensitive adhesive for applying the member to a carrier sheet. Examples of such laminated members and methods of making them are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,560,566; 3,226,910; 3,524,271; 3,524,782; 3,843,480; 3,869,328; 3,958,051; 4,068,028; 4,070,220; 4,121,961; 4,208,231; 4,220,490 and 4,253,899.
No known laminated member or method of making the same of which I am aware provides the advantages as those provided by my invention which is described in detail below.